Isn't "Parasyte" the same story as "Devilman"?

I started reading "Devilman" from the bookshelf at the guesthouse, but it was so heavy that I stopped and started reading "Parasyte" which I had on my iPad. "Devilman" is a speedy masterpiece that the dynamic genius Go Nagai ran through with his heart in his mouth, putting his all into it. It was cutting-edge for manga expression in the late 1960s. In contrast, "Parasyte" is a work completed as the first long-form series by the quiet Heisei-era genius Hitoshi Iwaaki. The structure, where various improvised settings (constraints) become effective as foreshadowing as the story progresses, is wonderful. As soon as I started reading "Parasyte," I thought, "Isn't this just like Devilman?" Akira Fudo decides to merge with a demon under the guidance of Ryo Asuka, while Shinichi Izumi accidentally avoids a parasite attack and has it parasitize his right hand instead of his brain. There are differences, but they are basically the same: heroes who have merged with supernatural creatures. Akira has Miki Makimura, and Shinichi has Satomi Murano, irreplaceable girlfriends. They love them dearly, but the essence of the heroes is not understood by them; yet, it is exactly the same that these women place their full trust in the heroes. They have female villains who can be called their fated enemies. Akira has Sirene, and Shinichi has Ryoko Tamiya (Reiko Tamura). They are the strongest enemies, and in the midst of life-or-death struggles, the heroes are somehow saved by them.

The demon bird Sirene and Reiko Tamura, Ryo Asuka and the serial killer Uragami

I think the two merged heroes feel a little guilty about having merged and gained supernatural powers. Akira is still confused by his own violent impulses as he becomes stronger in the early stages of the story, and Shinichi was unable to accept the circumstances of how he became strong (his mother was killed, and he himself was nearly killed, leading him to fuse with the parasite). Sirene and Reiko Tamura save them from that. This sequence is moving, and in both works, it shows a level of excitement that can be called the first climax. The battle with Sirene is in volume 2 of 5, so it's really the first half. The battle with Reiko Tamura is in volume 8 of 10, so it's in the second half in terms of position, but as for the protagonist's mental landscape, it is well-prepared and positioned as the final touch in preparation for the battles that will take place on a global scale. For Akira Fudo, not only Sirene but also the existence of Ryo Asuka (Satan) is significant. Ryo Asuka plunges humanity into terror and has Miki Makimura killed. The revelation that the reason for this is that Ryo Asuka loved Akira Fudo is amazing. Go-chan is amazing for making innocent elementary school students of that time, who didn't even know what homosexuality was, read things like "Androgynos." On the other hand, it was the serial killer Uragami who put Shinichi's heroine, Satomi, in the greatest danger. This is explained by the fact that Uragami was too interested in Shinichi, and his interest outweighed the risk of being caught. That's practically love, isn't it?

Armageddon and personal battles

In both works, the commercial climax converges on apocalyptic confrontations: "Armageddon" and the "City Hall Ground Battle." Well, the Armageddon between the Devilman Corps and the demons itself is omitted in the depiction. The desperate, all-out offensive by the demons leading up to it is vividly portrayed. The City Hall ground battle is depicted in detail with a resolution worthy of a Heisei masterpiece. But it is later revealed that this was merely a showcase to introduce the greatest enemy, Gotou. And the final battle between Shinichi and Gotou is set in a depopulated area like Okutama in Tokyo, depicted in a stark contrast between the invincible, fully-powered Gotou and the isolated Shinichi, who has lost his partner Migi. It's well done, isn't it? A review is conducted in the style of a lantern slide show seen by Shinichi, who has developed through the battle, unfolding various pieces of foreshadowing. The combination of Shinichi and Migi became too strong, and perhaps it became necessary to break that stability. On the other hand, Devilman has a series of side stories drawn after the main serialization was completed, which is a stable but boring, tedious chapter where Akira and Ryo Asuka team up and play an active role in self-contained episodes during the transitional period between Sirene and Armageddon. The main Devilman story is packed into just 5 volumes with lightning-fast development; the group of additional episodes that seem to pad that out is clearly superfluous. But I suppose it's a valid way to make a continuous drama. It's stable, but boring. The ending of the main story: Devilman ends with the destruction of the earthly world after a grand lovers' quarrel, and Satan is left in deep thought (like Maitreya) in a world where God has descended. Parasyte ends with Shinichi winning a personal, settling-of-scores battle against the invincible Gotou that no one is watching, hinting that he hasn't saved the world, and returning to everyday life (though the greatest crisis comes after this). Compared to the "tossed-aside, flip-the-table" ending of Devilman, Parasyte has a much cleaner landing, but the themes of ecology, war, and salvation that were thick at the beginning of the work recede into the background, and it ends by celebrating all life. It's as if to say that even the lives of dirty humans are worth living. I wonder if that was the end of the author's journey.